Leptosia alcesta, the African wood white or flip flop, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, found in Africa.[1]
| African wood white | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Both L. a. inalcesta Mabibi, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Genus: | Leptosia |
| Species: | L. alcesta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptosia alcesta | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The wingspan is 30–40 mm in males and 35–42 mm in females. The adults fly year-round, peaking from March to May.[2]
The larvae feed on Ritchiea species, Capparis fascicularis, and Capparis brassii.[2]
Subspecies
edit- L. a. alcesta (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- L. a. inalcesta Bernardi, 1959 (Uganda, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland)
- L. a. pseudonuptilla Bernardi, 1959 (Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ethiopia)
- L. a. sylvicola (Boisduval, 1833) (Madagascar)
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L. a. alcesta, Ghana -
L. a. inalcesta,In flight -
Worn specimen with the appearance of a face -
L. a. sylvicola, Madagascar
References
edit- ^ a b Leptosia alcesta, funet.fi
- ^ a b Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
External links
edit
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